Candy Catalyst
by Dementia777
Summary: The mind is a strange place.
1. The Catalyst

Inspired by "The Sky is Over" Serj Tankian. Though you shouldn't ask why that song inspired this, because I'm not sure either. More the video than anything else, and you might see if you wish to check out the video and stick it out through the entire story. (Then again, you may not see just as well. x.x It's not the most obvious thing, the connect is even vaguely confusing to me.)

And I'm not making this shit up about hormones controlling your moods and what not. Look it up if you don't trust me. You're on the internet anyways. Go. Shoo. Then come back.

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Even when unconscious and asleep, the mind never stops working. It's a constant source of entertainment and practicality, while being able to change to a place of ridiculous flights of fancy whenever one should chose for it to become such. A strange place, an amazing tool, a thousand other things. Your mind allows you to vividly picture things without having to use your eyes and see the object, as well as allow you to make sense of the images the eyes relay. Your mind causes you to dream, allows you to plan, and can even create entire scenarios within the confines of your head.

Scientists have made breakthroughs in order to better understand the mind. How it works, what makes it tick and maybe even what fuels individual minds in ways that are unique to anyone else. Among these studies, hormones have been shown to have large effects on the mood of an individual. Nearly as much as the situation you're subjected to, actually. The living world was not alone in their curiosity, and in fact have been long preceded by studies in the twelfth division.

The Soul Society has a dust covered file of such information, having thoroughly researched the idea when some interest was generated in the twelfth division quite some time ago.

Yumichika was always vaguely curious about what else the mind could do. He found ironies to be amusing, and sometimes beautiful. Thinking about thinking. Could there be something more interesting than what the researchers had allowed the public to view?

Only one person could even have a chance to know more than the Soul Society's files showed him.

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Being put in the human world with nothing at all to do except watch over a town with nothing going on was quite a bore. With him being a seated officer, it was surprising that he even was allowed to be sent. If it weren't for him volunteering when the officer previously assigned didn't fall ill, he wouldn't be in the area at all. However, he wished to come because the circumstance allowed him an opportunity to speak with Urahara. He knew to be quick, he wasn't even supposed to be at his post very long, officers were not normally assigned towns in the human world.

Before his replacement got back or something happened, he wanted to ask the only person who could give him a satisfactory answer. Lucky flash steps made it quite easy to get to Karakura Town from where he was positioned.

Once he got to the front of the shop, he was greeted by a very timid girl, sweeping the outside of the shop, who asked him if he wanted to see the owner. He answered by smiling confidently and nodding.

"Please come inside, I'll tell him you're here," she said and bowed to excuse herself, taking the broom with her.

Yumichika took the offer and followed direction to a small dining table in the front of the shop. Urahara came in just a few minutes. As par his normal ritual he opened his fan to cover the lower half of his face, but his smile was evident even from Yumichika's view behind the fan. "What can I do for a Soul Reaper today?"

"My name's Yu. . ." Yumichika realized it wouldn't be smart to give his name when he wasn't even given permission to leave his post. "Yuki."

"Okay, Mr. Yuki. Are you feeling well, forgetting your name?" And then using a women's name in place of whatever your name actually is, Urahara thought, amused.

"I'm just distracted easily. Sorry," Yumichika lied and tried to smile in a friendly manner, although he wasn't sure if his embarrassment came out. If it did, it would only make the act better, he thought.

"What did you come to my shop for?"

"It's just a personal trip, I want to ask you about something I've been wondering about for awhile."

"I see, well please. I'll help you any way I can."

Yumichika nodded. "Well, I was, with permission of course, going through some old files from the Research and Development section of the library and there was something about studying the processes of the mind."

"Oh, yes," Urahara began to lightly fan himself as he seemed to be thinking. "I remember looking over that file with some interest. What division are you in?"

"Combat, eleventh division."

"You don't see a whole lot from that division interested in anything like the research papers. It's good that you're interested in the mind," Urahara smiled. He seemed to be perfectly content with talking cordially this whole time, and not bothering about what "Yuki" had come for.

"No, you don't," Yumichika agreed readily, and involuntarily rolled his eyes at his annoyance with his division's notorious stupidity. "Anyways, I was wondering about something interesting in the file I read. Your mind can create a certain dimensional space, and that's how some people have the ability to use spacial-"

"No, Mr. Yuki. The mind is a dimensional space all it's own, created subconsciously with a small amount of spiritual energy that most aren't aware of. It's basically the same concept as using dimensional spacial contortions in battle," Urahara corrected. He did seem to know quite a bit about the matter, and even more to Yumichika's advantage, would speak freely about it. "Most people don't even understand what their own space looks like, and if they're put there they'll likely not even know."

"Does it look different from person to person?"

"Yes, but the size seems to be endless no matter how much spiritual energy someone possesses. For ones with very small spiritual pressure, the space will endlessly repeat, and for those with large spiritual pressure it will go on endlessly without seeming to have any need for repetition."

Yumichika had no idea Urahara would talk so freely about this. It was only an idle thought he'd had for awhile and wanted an answer to, but now he was getting everything he'd hoped to find out and then some.

"So, Mr. Yuki. Is that all?"

"Oh, well, that's all I really came for, but. . ." Yumichika paused, looking around for something he might like to purchase. "It would be so ugly of me to leave without giving you some business. Could you recommend something, and I'll gladly purchase it," Yumichika replied with a smile.

"I have something rather rare you might enjoy, please wait here," Urahara said and got up to look for the item in question. In a few minutes he came back with a box of swirly aqua and pink candies. "Eat one of each color, pink then blue. They're very good."

Although Yumichika was confused as to why there was an order in which to eat the candy, he thought that they looked very good. He thanked Urahara and bought them. He put them in his uniform, and left back to his post, getting there just before the old Soul Reaper who was on leave of the town returned so Yumichika could go back.

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	2. Working Too Hard

*Thank you to NorthernShinigami for correcting my mistake with the division confusion in this chapter.

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A recent construction project had taken place in Seireitei, and to save money the eleventh division was chosen to do most of the grunt labor because of the average physical strength that was greater than most any of the other division's members. In fact, Yumichika thought, they were always relied on because of their brutish strength but that put him in an uncomfortable situation because despite him having decent physical strength, he wasn't a muscle head and he feared bulking up from the labor, which was another reason for him volunteering to go to the human world, so he'd have a break from working.

As if he'd ever actually started doing serious work. He acted as more of a foreman, shouting at the lower ranking members of his division (and even the fourth seat, because he wasn't even close to Yumichika in fighting skills). And if he should ever get tired of making sure the meat-heads in his division weren't slacking, like he was, he wasn't above playing hooky.

Not that Yumichika had yet to experience the work first hand, but it seemed to be excruciating even to those who were used to sparing from dawn to dusk, sweating buckets. Maybe because Ichigo's group and Aizen left them work without much of a break in-between, and now more was thrown at them, it seemed that the repetitive tasks would never end.

The week after Yumichika's return was so busy he didn't even touch the candy he'd bought himself. He nearly forgot about it until he got home late one night and Ikkaku was in his room, lying on Yumichika's unmade bed and casually looking through a weapon catalog that Yumichika had picked up from the human world during his visit, because though Ikkaku thought guns were useless in function (and for all intents and purposes, here, they were) he found them interesting to examine and sometimes even make.

But there was an undertone, never did Ikkaku, Yumichika's lofty lover, ever come over for more than one reason. Nor would he lay down in his bed if he just wanted to hang out, like that would be the case after endless hours in the sun (there goes his perfect pale skin). There was no way Yumichika would even tolerate Ikkaku in the mood that he was in, or let him see anything. Yumichika was starting to peel in some places and he was in a horrid mood despite him getting away with never actually working.

"I don't feel like it tonight, Ikkaku," he said as pushed his sometimes lover over so he had room and climbed into the bed. He wasn't cold, and it was actually hot, but to cover himself and be out of sight (damn sun, and damn his caring) from Ikkaku.

"Captain's working me too hard, I need something fun to do before I go crazy," Ikkaku replied, looking up from his magazine asking without being direct, as he'd learned Yumichika hated shameless attempts to ask for anything. His attempts were to no avail, though, because Yumichika wasn't going to budge.

"I'm too tired. How are you not?" Yumichika asked and sighed. He was tired, as being the foreman (despite self-appointed) made him responsible for beating lazy members in the division to working and he knew the first thing that went wrong would be blamed on him, as if he was the overseer and not working, he could hear the criticism already, he should at least be keeping disaster away.

"Because I'm used to working, and you're used to having people work for you." Ikkaku glanced at Yumichika curled under the covers. "Which is what's been happening anyways, so I don't see your problem."

"I'm very busy," Yumichika countered indignantly. "I'm keeping the whole lot of idiots in our division from doing something stupid, which is all that they do. If I continue to yell like I have been," he started weakly, as if he were afraid to continue. "I might lose my beautiful voice."

"Then just stay up and talk to me, everyone else in the division is boring," Ikkaku insisted looking back to his magazine as if none of this was of any consequence. He wasn't going to be denied his friend's company if he was going to be denied what he came for in the first place.

"Can't we talk tomorrow?"

"There won't be any time, if tomorrow's anything like today," Ikkaku replied and turned a page. "Thanks for the book you brought back from the living world, by the way. They have a lot of swords. I thought they all used things like guns."

"I thought you liked guns?"

"I do, but the swords are interesting there. Though I don't know how someone would use them, they still look cool."

Yumichika peeked at the magazine. "Those go on the gun, I think. They're called bayonets. Anyways, how are you not tired?"

Ikkaku shrugged. "Someone from the twelfth division, research or whatever, gave me some sort of supplement and now I can't sleep. It's weird. And an experimental study. Pain in the ass, is what it really is though."

Yumichika rested his head on Ikkaku's shoulder. He was a little disturbed at the thought of Captain Kurotsuchi giving people experimental supplements, he ignored the bad feelings. Ikkaku's instincts wouldn't allow him to accept a supplement that would have hurt him, and Mayuri wouldn't risk probation by incapacitating a high ranking officer, at least. "Well, what would you like to talk about?"

"Nothing you'll go on too long about. Let's see. Anything happen during your visit to the living world worth talking about?" Ikkaku asked.

"I got some candy."

"That sounds pretty good, not like the sugar is going to keep me up anyways. Where is it, and I'll get up and get it."

"It's over there inside the drawer on my vanity, around the red hairbrush," Yumichika said tiredly and sat up to let Ikkaku crawl off the bed. He did so effortlessly. It was so strange to see him relaxed but have energy.

"It's pink and blue, right?" Ikkaku asked and pulled out the little clear box of swirled candies. When Yumichika nodded he brought them over.

"Where'd you get these from?"

"Urahara Shop. I went just to talk and bought these since it's not beautiful to go to someone's store without buying anything," Yumichika answered, and remembering the proper order of the candy, picked a pink piece of the hard candy, then popped it in his mouth. Ikkaku sat it down on the bed.

"What's wrong?"

"Ichigo says that Urahara guy is kinda weird. I'm making sure you don't explode before I eat one."

The sugar in the candy dispersed once it met with saliva, as if it were cotton candy. Yumichika smiled at the sweet taste and reached for a blue one after all the flavor of the previous left his mouth. "Pick one and we'll try this color together."

"Fine," Ikkaku shrugged and picked up a blue piece. He put it in his mouth and thought it tasted somewhat sour at first. It was actually pretty tasty once he got over the initial displeasure at the sour flavor. Yumichika seemed almost surprised by the flavor though. "What's wrong?"

"The first one was just really sweet," Yumichika answered. "I feel dizzy too. I'm too tired to stay up with you."

"All right, go to sleep," he conceded. Keeping Yumichika up, now that he thought about it, would only lead to the man being grumpy when he was forced to wake up in the morning. It was horrible enough when Yumichika was in a bad mood once Ikkaku had time to wake up, but in the mornings when neither of them are particularly happy, it's always hell to just make it through the day.

Putting the candy away he walked back over to the bed and decided he'd force himself to go to sleep so he didn't have trouble tomorrow staying awake. He climbed into bed, put his arms around the beauty and thought the blue candy, still melting in his mouth, was vaguely sweet now. He pushed it under his tongue so it wouldn't slip out of his mouth with it was still dissolving and shut his eyes. Eventually, sleep came for them both.

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	3. Macabre Beauty

Ha ha. Only story I've written so far that had any decent build up. And I already don't like it. Eh. Win some, lose most. At least it has an almost original premise. . . Not really. . . I made up everything here, it just seems so bland for some reason, when I read through it.

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Where were the blankets? Yumichika felt like he was lying down on rocks. Ikkaku wasn't behind him anymore, either. It was strange, because no matter how tired Yumichika was, he'd always get up earlier than his lover. And even in the rare case of Ikkaku getting up at some point before him, Yumichika can't sleep through the slightest movement.

"Ikkaku," Yumichika called as loudly as he could manage for as tired he was, and opened his eyes slowly. It was bright, and he closed his eyes tightly.

"Yumi?" Ikkaku yelled out. He sounded so far away. Yumichika slowly opened and closed his eyes until he got somewhat used to the light, then squinted to locate Ikkaku and saw they were somewhere strange. He couldn't make out any details quite yet, but there was blue and purple everywhere, and it was shining like gemstones under the sun.

"Ikkaku," he called out a little louder. "Where the hell are we?"

"I don't know! I've been looking around, trying to figure that out! Stay there!"

Yumichika got to his feet slowly. He felt oddly refreshed for sleeping on some random ground, and even though it was too bright for him to see things clearly, he noticed immediately that the place was rather stunning. What was emitting the light seemed to be oversized gemstones, just as he had noticed earlier being dazzlingly bright, that glowed with a unique tent of aqua. Almost the same as his zanpakuto, only without the pulsating between occasional different shades.

He stared at the stone for what seemed like only a few second, but it must have been longer because the gap between himself and Ikkaku was closed in that time, and his eyes adjusted completely to the light.

"I have no idea where we are," Ikkaku said softly. He was trying his best not to upset his lover who seemed to be in a complete mental blank. "You seen anywhere like it?"

"Sort of," he replied and snapped out of whatever daze the beautiful gems put him under. "I mean, something seems like it's on the tip of my tongue, like I've heard about this place or read about it somewhere. Maybe I've seen a picture of it a long time ago."

"Have you ever been here?"

"No," Yumichika replied. For certain, he knew he'd never stood anywhere like this before. He turned about and saw the entire place was-

"It's one big well, but I don't think it ends," Ikkaku said as if reading Yumichika's mind and finishing his thoughts. "Try not to look up or down too much. It makes you feel sick."

Yumichika nodded and looked where he was standing. It was a small break in between a long (endlessly long) spiral staircase that seemed to have no need for stopping either up or down. Ikkaku was right, the second he looked up to follow the stairs his stomach lurched. It was disgustingly excessive.

Where he stood, though, it seemed enticingly exquisite and even beautiful if he didn't look either up or down. The floor that was so unpleasant to wake up on was colored deep blue type, and seemed to be made of stone, similar to marble. The walls are a wisteria purple, and the gems set within them are aqua. Where had those colors been before? They seemed intimately familiar.

Right, Yumichika realized. The walls were the same color as his eyes, and the were so flat that they reflected his appearance neatly, although he had to stare rather hard to make his whole body out, instead of just certain sections that caught the light. The stones reminded him of his zanpakuto, and it's favorite color of aqua. The floor was one of his favorite colors of blue, and now that he looked closer, it had sparkles of yellow and red. It was a place he could dream about and never cease being content.

It was beautiful.

"Yumi, you see something that made you remember where this is?" Ikkaku asked, slightly anxious.

"Well, no. But look, at the colors here. The walls are the color of my eyes, the gems are the prettiest shade of aqua and the floor has the color of my feathers as specks inside the pretty blue."

"And?"

Yumichika looked down. He'd come to a conclusion, although he wasn't completely sure of the how exactly, he knew the what and why. He'd asked Urahara about the mind having space all it's own, and the eccentric man had granted him a way to enter it. He was in his imagination's own realm.

Now, how to put this to a man who had no knowledge of the very premise that the mind could create a dimension all it's own, or rather, someone who has no knowledge what-so-ever outside of weapons. Add in the fact Ikkaku's temper would go from curious and mild right now, to extremely pissed off that he was right about Urahara being untrustworthy.

Yumichika shrugged. "I don't know. It's weird, though."

"I think so too. It's also weird that the walls are mirrors. I feel like I'm in a fantasy world of yours," Ikkaku joked. Yumichika was just glad he had no idea that he he the nail on the head.

"Let's find a way out," Yumichika said, knowing it wasn't possible. He just needed to distract Ikkaku so he'd be able to think.

"Right. We'll split up then," Ikkaku said.

"We'll get lost that way. We have no idea what this place is, after all," Yumichika looked around. "Plus, the only way to search is up. If we ever got to the end of this going down, it'd only be a set back because we wouldn't be able to leave from there."

"That's one way to look at it," Ikkaku said, a little embarrassed he didn't see that sooner. "Then let's get moving."

Yumichika nodded and when Ikkaku went ahead, he used his zanpakuto to make a small scratch on the wall. He didn't know if the space would repeat, or if having the amount of spiritual pressure he possessed was enough to make a seemingly endless dimension. All he did know, is that if the place was frequently repeating then Ikkaku would notice with instinct and then Yumichika might be put in a tight spot. Having a marker would let him know ahead of time to make a plan.

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"I'm tired," Ikkaku complained, after about five hours of traveling upwards. The mark hadn't repeated once.

"I am too, Kaku," Yumichika said, though he was perversely proud of himself for having so much spiritual pressure as to make such a large space. "Have we seen anything that might be a way out while we were walking?"

"I don't know. I can't look around here or I start feeling dizzy."

Yumichika understood that. Both ways that you looked, the entire area, which was maybe thirty feet across from one side to the other of the circular well, you would see your own reflection, probably more than just one and become confused. When you looked either up or down for too long, you begun to doubt your own ability to tell one from the other. The only difference, when Yumichika wasn't confused, he noticed that down there seemed to be a glimmer like a pool of water once the circular structure became a point from an endless recession, and when he looked up at the same type of distortion, there was a light like from one of the gems embedded within the purple walls. He'd thought of a beautiful, but deadly place.

"Let's stop going upwards for a little bit and try to look around," Yumichika proposed. He wasn't even a little tired anymore after the short rest. "Those gems in the wall might be something interesting."

"All right," Ikkaku thought that sounded better than more endless walking. He found the closest stone, which can never be too far from any point you'd be standing because they were embedded every ten or fifteen feet. He looked at it intently for a minute, and if Yumichika wasn't there to ridicule anything silly, he might have even begun speaking to it. He was beginning to go crazy from the mental exhaustion.

Strangely, he thought, he didn't feel tired at all. He was dizzy and felt himself losing it, but not even running on empty. If he felt physical fatigue, then he could stop for a few moments and feel refreshed.

"Hey, Yumi!" Ikkaku called.

Yumichika ran over. "Hm?"

"Have you noticed we've been at it for hours and we don't get so tired we need to rest very long? I already feel like great."

"Yeah, actually," Yumichika answered hesitantly. He'd noticed that awhile ago, and had been wondering about it ever since. Although he had absolutely no idea what it meant, it seemed Ikkaku stumbled upon a theory.

You had to stumble upon something, Yumichika supposed, if you walk around in the dark for so long.

"Maybe it's got something to do with these," Ikkaku said, pointing to the extravagant gemstones. He put his hand on it, almost a bit reluctantly and it seemed to create an illusion of a key being placed in a lock, because the wall opened just as a door would.

"Oh, this is just great," Yumichika said sarcastically. More rooms. More walking. They went inside. It was completely different from where they'd just come from.

Did Yumichika really imagine a place like this? It was a so desolate with black trees, growing in a twisted manner, and harboring unnatural mouths in the place leaves, with the lips seeming to just hang in the air while closed. The trees had branches that reached out like tentacles, wavy and swaying freely in the stagnate air, somehow.

A cross between a hyena, coyote and owl sat perched on a branch with it's face contorting in pure rage, as if it were ready to attack at any given moment. It's front legs were the same nature of a burrowing owl, awkward and skinny but at the same time muscular, and gray with scant amounts of fuzz midnight black talons tipping the oversized toes, making the tree for which it was perched seem more gray than black in comparison. It's hind legs were spotted and thin as if a malnourished hyena possessed them, it's head had the features of a wolf which had been in too many fights with scars amok, and the spotted fur of the animal it received it legs from. Battle wounds littered it's whole body, albeit less than it's tattered face, and alternating patches of feathers and different furs covered the creature.

Despite the wolf-owl-hyena hybrid demanding attention, with it's mouth foaming and fangs bared, there were at least a hundred other things to notice. The strange trees that appeared to be blowing in a non-existent breeze, although not seeming too dangerous were maybe the most eerie thing. Besides them, the ground seemed to have a pulse of it's own. It was an ugly purple, and was more rock than dirt.

There were small lizards laying on rocks to bathe in the light of a quarter moon that was exceptionally bright to keep all of this picture so vividly clear. Under closer examination, said lizards seemed to have some aspects of a chicken, with dark brown feathers and wattles on the creatures. Close by a grotesque peacock spread it's tail, which looked to be eaten partially by moths such as a cloth garment stored for years upon years, not to mention it lost it's extravagant color at some point, being dull black and brown with variances of gray. The bird itself seemed to be rotting alive, and it's eyes looked to have either fallen out during this decomposition process or pecked out by something.

Before he was able to notice any more of the macabre display, Ikkaku drew in Yumichika's attention. "Yumi."

"Huh?" He asked, masking the fear in his voice and forcing himself to stand up tall in the presence of these creatures. He created them, maybe they had a code of honor, or something. Either way, he had his zanpakuto and so did Ikkaku.

"This was the worst idea, ever."

"You don't say."

"Let's leave. Now."

"I agree," Yumichika nodded and turned back. He looked for the entrance they'd come through but it had disappeared when they were distracted by the unholy manifestation of his imagination.

Ikkaku turned as well. "You have got to be shitting me."

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	4. The Beckoning Tree

Okay, previous chapter = my attempt at the amazingness that is Clive Barker. Please don't laugh at it, I was proud.

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The hybrid of canine and avian nature jumped from it's perch, losing patience with the visitors. Yumichika noted that it didn't have any wings, and thought the combination didn't belong in his imagination when it was so useless. It had only the ugly features of birds, and not more beautiful ones, such as wings or tail feathers.

"Shit, what do we-"

There wasn't any elegance required in dispatching something Yumichika didn't want in his mind in the first place. The wolf-thing was ugly. He slashed it in half with his unreleased zanpakuto, it's blood clotting as it hit the air. Thick and black glop spewed from the wound. Yumichika looked back at his friend, thinking still how strange it was of someone like him to have such a creature. He saw the beauty and mystique in everything except the thing he dispatched. It's foul temper was a statement to it's own misplacement.

Nothing else growled at them, or so much as looked in the two travelers of the space after the show was over and the unpleasant creature was dealt with. It didn't seem to matter much in a place like this, if something was killed. Or maybe did they recognize Yumichika as their creator?

"Let's find out how to get back. This place seems even more dangerous than the last."

"You think we could eat this?" Ikkaku kicked the dead hybrid.

"I don't see why not, except everything here looks like it's poisoned by something."

"Looks like something you'd think up, sadistic and Gothic."

Yumichika tilted his head. He could see the beauty in the suffering of this place, but how would Ikkaku know so much and infer so little about his situation? It was a unique instance, in a unique place, but still.

"Ikkaku-"

"Don't get in a fit, I was just saying. I know it lacks finesse. You'd make everything shinier. And with gold and diamonds everywhere."

"Actually, besides that thing I just killed, this place seems rather perfect," Yumichika said softly. "But, I need to tell you something. I was afraid to say anything earlier, however, would you be mad at me if I did know where we were?"

"If would've got us outta here faster, then yes."

"It won't."

"I don't even care then," Ikkaku said with a shrug.

Typical Ikkaku. Oh well, for once the eleventh division's mentality came in handy. Yumichika still felt he should know. "You know, you already guessed the place."

"Huh?"

"You said this all looks like things I would've thought up, though I disagree that the hybrid creature was my invention, we are in my imagination."

"Um," Ikkaku pursed his lips and tried to think for a moment. "How?"

"Well, those candies-"

"Told you."

Yumichika pouted. "Well, how was I supposed to know they were something like that?"

Ikkaku stared intently at Yumichika for a moment. "I'm not sure, but you had a hint and you're not telling me."

"Ikkaku, like you said, this won't help us get out any faster," Yumichika said and turned briskly to the open field of macabre creations. He didn't remember ever seeing anything remotely like them before, or thinking any of them up, but under examination, they each seemed strangely beautiful.

He thought this place may be less dangerous than the last. Before his senses didn't seem to be working, several times he couldn't tell left from right, or up from down. There may be things to fight here, but that's much easier than navigating the unending stairway. "The only thing I can think of is to find the candy."

"Find it?"

"There's nothing else I can think of. You see, I went to Urahara to ask him a question about the very thing we're standing in, and bought the candy as a courtesy. He told me the space never ends and continues to repeat forever. I'm thinking if you are supposed to eat the candy in the order; pink, then blue, then we only have to reverse the order to go back."

"There's an order?" Ikkaku asked. "I only ate blue."

"My head is pounding," Yumichika sighed and sat down on the ground, trusting it slightly more than he trusted the black stump nearby. But that was true, Ikkaku ate blue while he ate both colors in the correct order. What did that mean?

"What are you doing?"

"If we figure out the process to all of this, I might be able to get us out with a simple kido."

"I see."

"Well, let's go through everything so far. I must have a lot of spiritual pressure to have such a big space created in my subconscious."

"If you say so," Ikkaku nodded along like he cared and was following any part of the rambling.

"So, the area probably won't ever repeat no matter what, which is a pain. If you think about it, the area in this dimension that would be most likely to be weak would be where it repeats," Yumichika was laying down, looking at the purple sky, seemingly cloudy from an unnatural source, and strangely lit even though the moon was out. He thought for a moment the world looked almost polluted, before he forced himself back to the matter most pressing. "That's not terribly important though. If the world won't repeat then the space must be similar to either the living world or the Soul Society. Those are the only two things I've known, and everything here is composed of something familiar, only put together in unfamiliar ways."

"The air is full of spiritual pressure, more like Soul Society," Ikkaku said.

Of course it was full of spiritual pressure, captain obvious, Yumichika thought. The place is made from spiritual energy that he has surplus of. "Maybe something like trying to travel from the Soul Society to the living world would help?"

"I don't really do kido. Go for it."

"Gee, thanks," Yumichika rolled his eyes and got up. He almost didn't want to leave this part of his world yet, he wanted to examine it's individual and unheard of mystique. However, he was also anxious to get back, hopefully before noticed missing so he wouldn't be forced to explain that he broke the rules to get the candy that made him absent. He had a feeling that Captain Zaraki wouldn't find it very amusing.

He pulled out his zanpakuto and used it for the standard transportation kido, like a key in midair. It wasn't quite working, though. He tried several times before Ikkaku got annoyed. Ikkaku urged them just to find a way out of this portion of his mind and maybe try some more "doors." One of the spaces could be better suited to accept the kido.

"How do we leave, though?"

"Master Yumichika," the mouthed trees swaying in unmoving air beckoned.

"I don't think going to them is a good idea," Ikkaku said quietly.

"They're our best hope, aren't they?" Yumichika asked. "You stay back here and help me if they try anything."

"I don't like that plan."

"Then come up with a better one."

Ikkaku thought hard for a minute, all the while the trees called to their creator, and the bald man gave in. "Fine, talk to the creepy bastards."

"I don't like the idea either, Ikkaku, but I guarantee they know more than either you or I put together know times ten, so if they try anything we'll run. They're still trees, after all."

"Alright."

Yumichika smiled and walked over to the strange plants with Ikkaku's blessing, strangely relaxed despite the frightening circumstances. He was confident in this place, though he figured it was possible for him to be harmed. It being his world gave him some modicum of assurance.

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	5. Mister Balthazar and Sully

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The trees all seemed to want to wrap their branches around Yumichika when he got over there, not from malicious intent, but more like a starving person would grab the hem of someone wealth's clothes to beg for help from them. He allowed it for awhile before telling them to stop, and the trees immediately recoiled just the same as if Yumichika would have hit it. They were frightened of him, and saw it was clearly not to be the other way around.

There were thousands of voices apologizing to Yumichika once they heard the irritation in his voice. Among close inspection, the branches had small ears going along their length, but no eyes. How cruel, to only give these beings the ability to talk and hear, but not to see. Yumichika thought as if it was something he'd done on purpose. He still tried to sound commanding in their presence despite his guilt for forcing them to live badly.

"What have you called me for? And it is impolite for more than one of you to speak at a time."

An older sounding voice, decrepit and withering voice took over. It seemed to have to pause regularly for unnaturally painful and raspy breathes. The world was polluted, if this tree was any proof. "We wanted to thank you for slaying the chimera. The lizards told us you did a superb job at it."

"I have some questions," Yumichika stated firmly, despite wanting to ask what lizards the tree was talking about.

"Of course, Master. Please, use us. We have sat and listened since our very beginning, before we were even able to speak. We feel all that goes on."

"How do I leave?"

"Leave?"

"Go back to the Soul Society, a different place. How?"

The tree's tentacle like branches curled and uncurled, they seemed to be contorting like a face confused and thinking too hard about something. After awhile of this show, the old man's voice continued. "There are many things outside. They are gray, whatever that means, according to the lizards, that lead other places."

"They're aqua. I didn't know lizards were color blind?"

"So you know, you know. That's good. Why do you ask such a thing?"

Yumichika tilted his head. This conversation wasn't going anywhere useful, it didn't seem. "Is there anyone who would know more than you?"

"The chimera tribe is knowledgeable, but they are bitter, and they say you caused this place to be bad. I don't think this place is bad."

"I think it's beautiful," Yumichika answered, and that was the truth. He did see beauty in every anomaly here, but now his guilt increased. The tree, or at least this voice of the tree was suffering to the extent that it couldn't breathe well, and still it found wonder and majesty in it's creator.

"The lizards say you're more beautiful than anything they've ever seen. But tell me, if it should please you, who is the man over there?"

"My close friend," Yumichika answered, though he was curious as to how the tree knew anyone was accompanying it's master. Could it feel seismic vibrations maybe? Perhaps it didn't live as badly like he had thought.

The tree contorted again. Yumichika found this to be a strangely entrancing procedure, but over all it was ugly. Thinking hard seemed to cause physical damage to the being in front of him. Nothing fruitful was produced by the process this time, either. Once the tree regained composure, it began speaking again with no fruits to show from his labor. "Are you beautiful?"

"Of course."

"I didn't get to get a good look at you when I felt you earlier."

"Listen to the lizards, they seem to be truthful," Yumichika didn't want those branches to touch him again, they were bothersome and now he was starting to become steadily more repulsed.

"Of course, no one lies much. We consider it despicable."

So did Yumichika.

"We all fight well, too. Nothing, though, compared to you, Master."

It really was his world. Unique, deadly, beautiful. They seemed to possess his values and though maybe not quite his personality, they resembled him slightly.

"Tell me one last thing," Yumichika began looking around the desolate place.

"Of course."

"Do you, or your friends, know anything of some candy?"

"Candy?"

"Little solid orbs, slightly weak when pressure is put on them with a swirl pattern, pink and blue, but if the lizards can't tell color the way I do, then forget the last part."

"Of course. Candy! Is that what it's called? It's such a nice thing. It grows in a world of mirrors, the lizards say. It's quite far from here, but once while they were exploring they brought back a lot and said it grows on the ground. How nice. I grow from the ground, too, you know."

It grows from the ground? Well, that's no stranger than this place, and a land of mirrors would make more sense in a place that Yumichika thought up. He ignored the bulk of what the tree rambled on about and asked; "Thank you. Could the lizards take me there?"

"The only one who knows the way tires easily, Master. It's not wise for him to journey."

With more force in his voice, Yumichika repeated. "I need to get to that place in order to get home. If it's required, I will carry the lizard, but could one of them take me?"

The tree contorted in thought again. Each time the tree paused like that, it seemed to lose it's beauty, only becoming gradually more annoying, and Yumichika was losing his patience.

"Yes," the tree said after recovering. "Yes, yes, yes, yes."

"He will?"

"Yes, yes, yes. Yep. Mr. Balthazar said he'd be delighted."

"Wait, Balthazar? From that Shakespeare play I read?" Yumichika shook his head. Why was there a lizard named after that?

"Well, I must be retiring for my mid-day nap. It's right after my mid-morning rest and only slightly before my mid-afternoon sleep."

Yumichika stared, slightly confused at the tree as it's animated mouths and attentive ears suddenly stopped showing any sign of ever being alive and the branches swayed lightly in the unmoving air again. He glanced over to Ikkaku and smiled. "It's fine, I think we'll find the candy now."

A slow moving lizard, who was growing a long gray beard was making his way over to Yumichika. It didn't seem able to move even a small bit faster, and at it's excruciatingly sluggish pace was causing it to start panting, becoming slower yet from exhaustion. Yumichika didn't know lizards could pant either.

He walked over to what he presumed to be Mr. Balthazar and picked him up, his body wasn't even as long as Yumichika's hand but his beard was so long as to reach Yumichika's waist when he held the lizard at eye level to speak to him. "Can you lead me to the candy in the mirrored room?"

"Is that what you call the orbs?"

"Yes, sorry. Can you?"

"Only if you be patient. I'm getting old."

"Right. How do we get outside though?"

"The door's right there," the lizard said and motion his head towards what seemed to be the limitless expanse of the world they were in.

Ikkaku, hearing the lizard, turned around immediately. He didn't see it either. But was what he saw particularly important? Nothing made sense in the first place. He took a few steps toward where Mr. Balthazar motioned with feigned confidence, and reached what seemed to be a wall. He fumbled for a moment and opened the door.

It looked so extravagant when he did so, as if he were making a tear in the space, leading from this world of pestilence and macabre beauty into the flawless staircase world.

"Are we going?" Ikkaku asked with a cocky grin. Even he was having fun in the strange place now, since he was able to show some control in it.

Yumichika stood in awe of the strange picture for a moment longer and then covered that look of bewilderment with a smug smirk. "I don't know who you're waiting on," he said flash stepping out of the small subsection of his space with the aging lizard resting on his shoulder.

Now that he thought about it, the lizard had a voice somewhat similar to the tree. Strange, but then again, everything here is strange.

"It's down eighty stones," Mr. Balthazar said completely composed. He didn't even ask what the flash step was. Maybe Yumichika was believed to be able to do just about anything here, he was practically the god of this world. Not that something so superficial could _possibly_ go to his head.

"Eighty exactly?"

"After eighty all the places become strange," the lizard replied without interest or emphasis. "You're in one of the places, except you looked taller. And Master has a room with a bunch of paintings of himself."

Ikkaku cocked his head. "I'm here?"

Mr. Balthazar nodded. "There's a lot of people around here. Sully, the tree whom helped you, figured out awhile ago that Master added to this world everything he saw in those strange rooms, and in the normal ones around here, they contain his ideas."

"I don't remember ever comparing a Shakespearean character to a lizard with a long gray beard, or ever thinking up chicken lizards in the first place."

"Well, that's because, Sully says, that's because, because..." Mr. Balthazar trailed off, looking into his reflection across the way.

"Because why?" Yumichika asked, annoyed. Sully and Mr. Balthazar had too many similarities. Their voice, their annoying habits, such as stopping in the middle of what they were saying and repeating words.

"Because people don't remember things as well as we do. Sully and me used to play with you when you were just a little guy."

"You're crazy," Yumichika scoffed.

"You had a tree and lizard as imaginary friends?" Ikkaku asked, holding back laughter.

"I didn't," Yumichika huffed and started walking down, taking special care to count the number of gems that they passed. "That's just stupid."

"When you were alive, you don't remember?"

"No, and I don't care, because I didn't play with chicken lizards and talking trees!"

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	6. A Final Confrontation

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After flash stepping and counting fifty-three gems, Yumichika fell over. He tumbled down several stairs and stopped on one of the flat intervenes, careful to protect Mr. Balthazar when it happened.

"Are you alright?" The lizard asked, and despite his always monotonous voice, he seemed to be concerned.

"Of course. I was more worried about you."

Ikkaku caught up within seconds and stopped by Yumichika. "What the hell happened?"

"Counting these things, I thought it would help me not to get dizzy with everything around, but it made the whole thing worse," Yumichika said as he stood up and placed his little friend back on his shoulder.

"Don't be so careless," Ikkaku said. He actually had been relying on Yumichika to do all the counting so far, though. He'd been focusing on nothing but going down the stairway, keeping his eyes closed most of the time so he wouldn't be confused by all the mirrors and shiny distractions among this world.

"We've got twenty-seven more to go," Yumichika said, standing up and trying to overcome how dizzy he felt. The fall didn't injure him, and even if it broke bones he wouldn't have trouble continuing. It was the place he'd created, it's tricky illusions and confusing lay out that was causing all the problems. His stomach lurched, his head was spinning, his legs were reduced to jelly.

"Yumi? Let's just get the hell out of here, alright?" Ikkaku said, seeing the beautiful man's peeling skin begin to tint lightly green as if he were about to throw up. It was so hard to remain the way he was, relaxed and supportive, but he wanted to get out. Even he knew that the moment they begun to fight, they'd never work together well enough to escape, and him being left on his own in a place he didn't even begin to understand not worth whatever satisfaction he may get from blowing off some steam.

"I-i," Yumichika's legs trembled and collapsed under him.

Preying on the mind, using tricks such as dizzying and nauseating sights were the only things that the space here had in it's arsenal. It didn't quite work on the lizard or the other man, they weren't relying on wit or their senses half as much as they were instinct, but they were relying on someone who ran on his mind more than his feelings in situations.

It was breaking that crutch.

Mr. Balthazar climbed off his Master and nudged him a bit. Yumichika was still conscious but couldn't fathom getting up in his condition. "Ikkaku?" The lizard asked.

"Hm?"

"Sully figured, well Sully figured the different spaces got different," Mr. Balthazar paused for about five seconds. Just before Ikkaku was about to ask what he was going to say, he continued just as if he never stopped. "Different things from the Master. What do you think this space has got?"

"Hatred of anything more beautiful than it."

The lizard nodded in agreement. "And using what it's got well, to do this, to do this, to do..."

"It's resourceful." Ikkaku looked around. He probably wouldn't be reduced to Yumichika's condition because the space here wouldn't think Ikkaku was so beautiful as to be a threat. The only thing was, he couldn't help the man or else this space would think he was an enemy, and agent of the beautiful man. It may not be malleable, it can't contort and launch physical attacks but it was just as dangerous. "What else does Sully think?"

"He always said Master would like to live with us here if he ever came to visit. It looks like he's got something good enough to go back to though," Mr. Balthazar said, going on a tangent and showing plainly that he had nothing else useful to say. "He would've liked to stay in my world a little longer. You see how he was amazed by everything there? Well, it never stops being amazing. There's always, always something, always something new to see that he thought up and he'd love to stay there."

"Anything useful that Sully said?"

"Stay away from the chimeras. Always stay, stay, stay..."

"That's good. Good information." Ikkaku shook his head and gave up on the interrogation.

"Also, don't think outside, in here. If you think, you'll end up just like your friend here."

"I always run off instinct. If he was anything like the others in the division, this place wouldn't even be remotely dangerous."

Mr. Balthazar nodded his little head. "Could you carry us? I'll count the rest... Count the rest, the rest of, of the stones."

Ikkaku nodded and picked up the barely awake Yumichika and his imagined lizard friend, then began to make his way down as quickly as possible to the exit of this adventure, and he was never, for as long as he lived, ever letting this incident go. Or forgiving Urahara for putting them in such a dangerous situation, for that matter.

"Here," the lizard said and Ikkaku stopped abruptly, nearly throwing both of the ones he was carrying off when he did.

"A little warning is nice, instead of making me stop on a whim."

"Oh. Sorry."

Ikkaku shook his head. "Can you make it back by yourself?"

"Yeah," Mr. Balthazar said and hopped to the ground. "Be careful of the chimera in there, though."

"You wait until now to tell me that?" Ikkaku shouted at the lizard.

"Oh. Sorry." Mr. Balthazar repeated.

"I don't know how Yumi put up with you, even if he was a kid!"

"Oh. Sorry." The lizard wasn't making fun of Ikkaku. He seemed to really be sorry for his forgetfulness, but also, he seemed to latch onto phrases and not really let them go easily.

Ikkaku looked away before his couldn't resit the urge to slice the sluggish lizard in half while he made his way up the stairs with almost comical effort. In fact, if he wasn't nearly making Ikkaku laugh with his slow and pained attempts, he would've been cut already.

"Yumi?"

"I'm tired, Kaku."

"We're at the door."

"Great, let's go."

"There's a bunch of chimera inside, so I'm gonna leave you out here-"

"The hell you are," Yumichika said sternly. "I don't know what's going on, but my own imagination is trying to kill me and you're not leaving me out here."

"It's going to try to kill you in there, too."

"Fuck it, I'll be fine," Yumichika said sternly. He rarely cursed so abrasively, but that merely showed Ikkaku he was unmovable on the issue. He got down and held onto his sometimes lover for a moment to steady himself. "Besides, you acting all tough with your smeared make-up isn't exactly comforting."

In feigned annoyance he replied; "It's traditional warpaint, not make-up." Ikkaku thought it was actually kind of cute though, that Yumichika was trying so much to look strong despite his disposition. Once Yumichika was ready, he reached forward to open the door in the same way Ikkaku had previously.

The room was stunningly beautiful. The mirrors were really some type of crystal that reflected everything in repeating beauty. Or, almost everything. Yumichika and Ikkaku looked incredible in the reflection, but a group of chimera of all different kinds showed up endlessly, and all were snarling at the unwelcome visitors, completely repulsive and unfit to stand among the beautiful room. The candy was scattered and many smashed across the floor, the bushes which they supposedly grew upon had been ripped up into pieces.

Some of these creatures were grotesque beyond belief, but many had unspeakable aspects of beauty about them. The rotting peacock stood in front of them all, repeating a million times in the mirror to the point where it was hard to determine exactly which image was the true creature.

It, not surprisingly, possessed the ability of broken speech. "You not me Master. You bad," it said in a creaking voice. Surely, it's music was once sweet but something had taken that away.

Yumichika stared at the one he felt was true and stepped into the crystalline cave confidently. He was becoming more dizzy by the minute looking at all of this, but couldn't show weakness to enemies. He knew that as well as his own name. "I'm no one's Master, at least not by rule. You're correct there, but I'm not an enemy, either."

A smaller but mangled looking chimera, with many features of a mangled parrot, landed upon the peacock's head. It's speech was good, just as the speech of Mr. Balthazar or Sully was, maybe only a small bit worse. "You made us imperfectly, Yumichika. You caused us all pain."

Yumichika put his hand on his zanpakuto, knowing avoiding confrontation wouldn't be an option. "None of this was created on purpose. I never even knew about you, or any of this, until I read about it."

"Not matter," the peacock spat out, it's broken voice deformed even more with blind anger. "You. You. You! You did all. You."

Ikkaku already had his zanpakuto drawn and he was grinning maniacally. "I wouldn't mind taking you out, as a last favor to that creepy lizard who lead us down here."

"Ikkaku, be careful."

"Yeah, yeah, Sully says the chimera are bad, big deal," Ikkaku shrugged it off. As usual, he didn't know how to handle himself when a fight was about to erupt.

Yumichika drew his sword as well. The leader of the pack, or the supposed leader, the peacock, charged forward towards Ikkaku. Maybe he wanted to make Yumichika suffer losing someone close before killing him.

Although Ikkaku's instincts were finely tuned, and Yumichika was sure he blocked the animal, the reflections played tricks on them both. The peacock was unaffected by the optical illusion due to it's lacking of eyes and was able to hit the bald man easily while Ikkaku blocked one of it's reflections.

Yumichika was attacked by several of the rotting animals as well, hardly noticing they were charging until it was too late due to him being fascinated in watching his friend. They left several long scratches all over Yumichika's body that burned because of whatever bacteria there was surely growing on their decaying bodies, and charged toward Ikkaku.

Having bigger problems, like the remaining chimera, Yumichika turned to the rest of the pack. Apparently, the majority did still have their vision as they were attacking reflections as well. Yumichika saw that there were a few cracks under the feet of some, scratches and breaks in the nearly perfect illusion of never-ending reflection. He quickly released his zanpakuto and dispatched these confused agents. Turning back to his friend, he saw that Ikkaku noticed the same flaw.

The only problem was, these creatures were sensitive. They felt the strikes coming much before they had time to hit and recoiled. They were strong.

Without sight, in the world they came from, they had advantages. Stronger sense of touch, Sully had mentioned it himself. That he felt everything that went on. Frightening powers Yumichika had bestowed upon these creatures.

"Ikkaku, your zanpakuto!"

"It won't release," Ikkaku replied, slashing at his blinded enemies with his unreleased blade. "This is your world with your spiritual pressure, I can't use mine! The lizard thing said so when you were dozing on the way down!"

Yumichika couldn't believe his ears. There was no way Ikkaku could win this way, without even being able to use his zanpakuto past it's sealed state. His opponents weren't weak either. "Ikkaku, I need you to close your eyes."

"The hell are you talking about?"

"I'm not willing to let you die in a battle like this, so trust me and close your eyes."

Ikkaku was hardly in the mood to trust Yumichika after the candy incident, but he did as he was told. After getting cut about four times he felt an amazingly strong spiritual power around him and all the creatures that were attacking him seemed to be pulled away and they dispersed. When he opened his eyes, albeit without permission, he saw Yumichika sheathing his swords and picking up some blue pieces of candy that were mostly intact.

"What was that?"

"It candy silly," Yumichika said.

"What did you do?"

The man tossed him a blue piece of candy and ate one himself. "I'd sooner die than tell you something like that."

Ikkaku narrowed his eyes. There were more instances where Yumichika had pulled them out of a tight spot and said the same thing, but he'd always let it go before. He wasn't sure if that's what he wanted to do this time, though. He popped the candy into his mouth, and insisted for Yumichika to tell him.

"If I told you, you wouldn't like me as much," Yumichika replied. Same answer as usual.

"I can't trust you if you don't tell me."

"Then don't trust me."

"I want to know. I kept my eyes closed like you asked. Tell me," Ikkaku insisted, though even he lied at the last part.

"No."

"I can't love someone who doesn't love me back."

"I'm keeping this from you because I love you," Yumichika said softly, and collapsed. Ikkaku ran over to the man, but was soon to follow the example, overcome by sudden exhaustion.

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	7. Unique Explanation for a Unique Instance

You might notice a lot of my chapter stories are seven chapters. It's on purpose. I love the number seven, it's my favorite number. So, there you go. Fun fact. Yep.

Oh, and don't ask how the song this story was inspired by relates to it. The video impregnated me with a brainchild that resembles Alice in Wonderland written by Clive Barker at his very very very very very worse. (Because, Clive Barker is God of the literary world and I cannot ever compare. Ever.)

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The candy acted much like the creator, it was a catalyst to an awful and wonderful adventure. Their co-operation was vaguely understood by Yumichika, as he found out the reason why Ikkaku was brought into his dream world instead of being sent into his own.

The pink candies dispersed rather quickly and soon afterward, Yumichika saw his space created by his subconscious and he became dizzy. He ate the blue candy that made him become weak and tired, and went to sleep along with Ikkaku, who wasn't even tired prior. It wasn't overtly complicated once he gave some thought to the whole process, the pink candy, which had to be consumed first, opened a rift between the space and the blue one allowed to travel between.

He wasn't sure why the blue one caused fatigue, really. He wasn't sure why the pink treat dispersed so quickly and the it's counterpart lasted much longer. There was a lot that he had no idea about, but he knew for sure that he wouldn't even attempt to ask Urahara even if given a perfect opportunity. He figured everything out while lying beside Ikkaku, who hadn't woken up just yet.

When he did wake, sprawled out over the bed, and over top of the smaller man in the bedroom they'd started the whole thing in, and he was reasonably distressed.

"What is it?" The Yumichika asked, thoroughly tired, despite being awake for some time now.

"I didn't dream all that, did I?"

"All what?"

"The candy, and the space inside your head-"

"No, we were there," Yumichika replied. "And you have a space too, it's different than mine, but you have one."

"How are you so calm?"

"We're back, aren't we?"

"Well, yeah."

"I'm calm because I'm tired. And hungry, but mostly tired. That whole thing was exhausting," Yumichika replied without particular emphasis. "I'm kind of curious why we didn't get really hungry or tired there, or how long we were gone. We slept for awhile there, and we seemed to walk endlessly, then there was the fight. And Sully and Mr. Balthazar. I wish I could remember how I thought them up as a kid, if I really did think them up when I was young like they said I did. Actually, I don't know how I was creative enough to think up half of those things, like the little parrot and peacock." Yumichika pretended to dislike Sully and Mr. Balthazar, but really he'd grown fond of them, despite their annoying habits.

Ikkaku frowned at the long digression, even though he made no attempt to stop it. It was actually relieving hearing Yumichika say so much about what transpired, as if he were proving that everything really did happen. "Well, as long as you remember so much, you're not getting away from answering my question this time. What did you do there, at the fight? It was weird, and I can't sit through you dancing around the truth and not telling me anymore, it's not the first time you've done that-"

"My Shikai," he replied tiredly. "I saw you peek, you know. Don't act clueless. It's not beautiful."

Ikkaku blushed, thinking he was very discreet. He didn't know it was a Shikai just by looking through a barely cracked eye, but had a hunch. "Well, after the first time I thought it wouldn't hurt to just look-"

"You don't like me anymore, do you? Now that you know my zanpakuto is a kido-type."

"Well, you're an image obsessed idiot that does stupid things," Ikkaku started. "But I still like you, idiot."

Yumichika leaned forward for a kiss. "Good. I'd hate for the one whom I love to dislike me. I'd have to beat the fact that I'm the most beautiful person in the world into your head then."

Ikkaku laughed a bit. "Don't be an idiot."

"That's what I should say to you."

Rolling his eyes, Ikkaku picked Yumichika up and hugged him. "You're a pain in the ass, you know that?"

"I could say the same to you, literally."

"You don't have any other secrets you were keeping, do you?"

"No, Mr. Warpaint," Yumichika said with a smile, taunting Ikkaku as well as silently comforting him and assuring the whole thing really did happen if he needed any further proof.

"Whatever," Ikkaku replied. "What do we say to Captain about us being gone? Two high ranking officers, ones that are always around him, aren't going to go unnoticed if we've been gone for longer than a day. Plus, he'll know if we lie about where we were."

"So, we have to explain everything?"

"I think it would be for the best," Ikkaku said a little reluctantly. He had not a single idea how to explain to someone like Captain Zaraki an outlandish story in the first place, mainly because he was stunningly similar to his captain and knew if he was told such a story he'd never believe it. "Do you know how to explain that we went on vacation in your head to him?"

"Hm..."

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Yachiru jumped up onto Kenpachi's shoulder smiling. "Yun-yun and Baldy were in bed. I told you they were just tired! You should have checked for them under the covers."

"I'm never going into either of their rooms and lifting the blankets."

The usual picture of innocence, Yachiru asked why.

"Just because."

"Don't be mad at them Kenny! Yun-yun gave me some candy!"


End file.
